This invention pertains to a ramp and cargo system that is easily attached to a standard trailer hitch socket of a vehicle and that can be used to load small-sized, wheeled vehicles, including an occupied wheelchair, into the vehicle through the rear door.
Many new vehicles, such as mini-vans and sport utility vehicles, have a rear opening door or hatch. The interior size of the vehicles allows transporting small-sized, wheeled vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles, riding lawn mowers, small tractors, motorcycles, and in particular, occupied wheelchairs.
Many of the newer wheelchairs are heavier and bulkier, designed for greater comfort and for the occupant to remain in the wheelchair during transportation. However, these larger, occupied wheelchairs present the problem of how to load into the vehicle. Vehicle wheelchair lifts and ramps have been designed that mount inside the side door of a van and load the wheelchair through the side door. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,084,713; and 5,325,558. These ramp systems are stored inside the vehicle and decrease the available interior space. There are also portable ramps that can be used to load an occupied wheelchair into a vehicle. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,938,397 and 5,325,558. However, these portable ramps are often inconvenient to use and are usually stored inside the vehicle.
Designs exist for carriers for the rear of a vehicle that can transport an unoccupied wheelchair or other cargo outside the vehicle. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,438,875; 4,411,580; 3,158,302. Some of these rear cargo carriers attach to the rearwardly extending trailer hitch of the vehicle. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,853,278; 5,586,702; 4,906,015; 4,679,975.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,921 describes a ramp used to load small recreational vehicles (e.g., skimobile, snowmobiles, garden tractors) from the rear of a vehicle, including loading into the back of a station wagon. The ramp design for the station wagon extends into the back of the vehicle and is attached to anchors for the rear seat belts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,292 describes a carrier deck attached to a vehicle using a standard trailer hitch, comprising an additional platform piece that can be used to load cargo onto the deck from the the side of the deck. The carrier deck and additional platform piece can be stored in a vertical position when not in use.
I have designed a simple, inexpensive ramp and cargo system that easily and quickly mounts to a standard trailer hitch socket of a vehicle with a rear door or hatch, including minivans and sport utility vehicles. The ramp is used to load small-sized, wheeled vehicles, including occupied wheelchairs, into the interior of the vehicle. The ramp is mounted and carried outside the vehicle, and thus does not decrease the interior space of the vehicle. The ramp and cargo system can also optionally serve as a deck attached to the rear of the vehicle to provide additional cargo space. This external deck can be expanded and partially enclosed with sidewalls. The ramp and cargo system is light-weight, inexpensive, and easy to use compared with existing lift systems.